Head Coach Stacey Recanati
Stacey Recanati, a 1990 graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson, begins her 11th season as head coach of the volleyball team. For more than a decade, Recanati has been an integral part of the program, first as an outstanding player and then as successful coach. With 119 career wins entering the 2001 season, she is just six shy of becoming the program's all-time wins leader.
During her tenure, the Knights have become a contender in the NEC, finishing near the top of the conference each year, including runner-up tournament finishes in two of the last four seasons. Her players have been named NEC Rookie of the Year four times and five times named to the NEC First Team.
For her accomplishments as a student-athlete at Fairleigh Dickinson, Recanati was a member of the second induction class into the Division I Athletics Hall of Fame. She had a stellar collegiate career, being named All-NEC three times. She guided the Knights to a 122-54 record, three NEC titles and a bid to the Women's Volleyball Invitational Tournament in 1989. Recanati was named NEC Most Valuable Player twice during her playing career - in 1987 and 1989.
As a player at Hackensack High School, she was named to the Bergen Record's All-Decade Volleyball team for the 1980s. Recanati lives in Hackensack with her husband, Frank, and their children David and Sarah.
Assistant Coach Stephanie Schmidt
Schmidt, a 1999 Fairleigh Dickinson graduate, begins her third season on the sidelines with coach Recanati after playing four seasons under her guidance. Schmidt will lead the team's conditioning program and will scout upcoming opponents.
An exceptional player under coach Recanati, Schmidt led the Knights to four straight NEC Tournament appearances and broke several program records. Schmidt the 1995 NEC Rookie of the Year, was honored as a First Team All-NEC member following her junior and senior seasons. Schmidt led the Knights to two second-place tournament finishes in her last three seasons and earned team MVP and dean's list academic honors following her senior year. She finished her career with over 1,200 kills and 1,300 digs.
The Lake Ridge, Virginia, native graduated with a bachelor's of science in accounting and now works as a financial statement analyst for Enterprise Rent-a-Car. She is single and currently resides in Hackensack.